


Yesterday, and Ten Months Ago

by AlexTheShipper



Series: Eudora Lives [2]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Eudora Patch, BAMF Klaus Hargreeves, Canon-Typical Violence, Dave lives, Everybody Lives, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tattoos, Time Travel, Vietnam War, eudora lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 07:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18441560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexTheShipper/pseuds/AlexTheShipper
Summary: In a world where Eudora lived and went back in time with Klaus, they still end up in Vietnam with a malfunctioning time travelling briefcase. Somehow they find a place for themselves there, in 1968, until they need to come back.





	Yesterday, and Ten Months Ago

**Author's Note:**

> Beginning is pretty much exactly the same as the first fic in this series, but then I focused on their time in Vietnam.

-2019-

Klaus was tied to a chair, bleeding, and surrounded by ghosts. He didn’t want to admit it, had never ever wanted to admit it, but he was terrified. He was trapped in a hotel room with two time traveling homicidal maniacs who wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, and he had no idea what was going to happen next. The moment they left him alone he dropped the deranged act and started looking for a way out. God smiling through this sort of pain was hard, and the withdrawal symptoms just made it harder. He needed to escape.

The gag in his mouth meant he couldn’t scream for help, and he needed to be loud enough to be noticed by someone outside, but quiet enough not to garner his captor’s attention. He scoots towards the window, and braces himself, this is a terrible idea, before slamming his face into the table. It fucking hurts like hell, but it’s loud, so he does it again.

If he were to be honest with himself, which he hates doing, he’d admit he didn’t expect anything to come out of it except a concussion. He was rapidly losing hope, and his grip on consciousness when a woman burst through the door holding a gun. He would probably be surprised if he wasn’t so dizzy.

“Are you Diego’s brother?” His gun toting mysterious savior asks, and that’s kind of a weird question, but he nods, ignoring the wave of darkness encroaching on his vision.

“Yeah!” He says, still muffled by the gag as she unties his hands. Then his savior takes out the gag, shushing him quietly. He takes a shaky breath, scrambling out of the chair and behind the bed.

“I’m Detective Patch.” His Savior, Patch, informs him, which makes a lot more sense than her being an angel, that had been his initial assumption. He flashes her his hello hand for a moment and then shakily crawls towards the corner.

They both hear sounds from the bathroom, and the click of the door opening.

“Police, drop the gun, or you’re going down.” Patch calls out a warning, and Klaus kind of loves her.

 “I’m coming out.” Hazel calls, and that’s just Hazel, the scary one is missing. Klaus needs to get away, he needs to run, he needs to say something.

“There’s two of them!” He yells, just as Ben’s head snaps up to look at something outside the window. “Behind you!” He makes a rush for the air vent, not wanting to see what happens as the gun fire starts. Not wanting to see Patch die. He wiggles into the vent, and gets stuck. There’s something there and he pauses for a moment.

“Move it!” Patch’s voice orders, and he does, shoving the thing in front of him as he crawls forward, aware of her crawling in after him. He’s still dizzy, and his hearing is fading in and out as he crawls through the vent his savior behind him.

“Thank you.” He says, when they emerge, but his savior isn’t done, grabbing him by the elbow, and dragging him down the street completely unconcerned about the fact that he’s only wearing a towel and dripping blood.

“It’s my job, now c’mon we need to get to the police station I hit them but they’re not gonna stay down long, we can’t go back to my car so the bus it is.” She informs him, hustling him down the street, he clutches the strange briefcase to his chest and allows himself to be bustled along. “They’ll live so we need to move.”

“Okay.” Klaus says, agreeing to the implied order, Ben trails behind them. The bus driver gives them a strange look as they climb aboard, but Patch stares him down, pulling Klaus into a seat.

“Now, we just have to get to the police station and then get you to a paramedic.” Patch comments, and a paramedic is better than a hospital at least, and he could probably use one. He zones out then, unsure of what she’s saying.

“What do you think is in here?” He asks, moving to open the briefcase. Maybe it’s money, he could get a lot of drugs with a briefcase full of money. He goes to open it, thumbs underneath the latches.

“That’s police evidence, you can’t-“ Eudora grabs onto the case just as he flicks it open and they’re both consumed by a blue light.

-1968-

“-open it.” She finishes, but suddenly they aren’t on a bus anymore, they’re in a tent.

“Damn it! Incoming! No time, ladies!” A voice is yelling, and if Klaus didn’t know any better, he’d say this looked like an army barrack. “Charlie’s on the wire! Move it! All right, go!” The man is yelling, and there’s a flurry of action people grabbing helmets, and making for the door. “Who the hell brought a woman in here?” He asks, and Klaus notices the way Patch’s hackles rise at that. He turns his attention on Klaus. “You got mud in your ears, boy? Get dressed.” He’s looking right at the two of them.

“No, I’m, I’m not-“ Klaus stutters, no idea what to do. He isn’t a soldier, no matter how hard dad tried.

“War’s not gonna wait for you to get pretty!” The man yells, practically in his face and it’s true enough. “Kratz, get this man operational, and get him a pair of pants!” The yelling man moves on then, and somebody Kratz is handing him a pair of pants, as Patch seems content to grab a helmet and a gun.

“I’m Dave.” Kratz, Dave greets, grabbing his own gun and shooting Klaus a smile.

“Klaus.” Klaus replies. Like the yelling man says though, war doesn’t wait and there’s the distinct sound of gunfire from outside.

“Let’s go! Do you think I have time to waste!” The yelling man screams, bustling everyone out of the room. “Stop gawking and get those pants on. You! What are you doing with a gun?” This is directed at Patch, who ignores the man, hefting the rifle and cocking it.

“Klaus did you say? Stay behind me.” Patch says, and then she’s storming past the yelling man, and taking aim at the first person to aim at her. Klaus hurries into his pants snatching up a gun and following behind her. He can’t very well let his hero get killed.

“Yes ma’am.” He says, and then she shoots the first soldier, and the second. Dave follows them out, providing cover, and Klaus does his best with shaking hands to keep them safe, he’s not the best shot, but he knows how to go for the kill in hand to hand, turns out daddy dearest was good for something after all.

“You keep shooting like that lady we might keep you.” The yelling man comments to Patch once the camp is clear, she looks up at him, brow raised thoroughly unimpressed.

“You keep talking to me like that and I might shoot you.” She comments, and surprisingly enough the man just laughs.

“You’ve got some spirit in you. Welcome to the 172nd. I’m Sergeant Crawford.” He slaps her on the shoulder and marches off shouting orders to load up. Klaus rushes back to the tent and grabs the briefcase before their all bustled onto a bus and shipped out to somewhere. It’s a little worse for wear, dented, and scuffed up but still in one piece.

He drops into the seat next to Eudora, Dave across the aisle, and clutches the briefcase to his chest.

“How did you know how to do that?” Eudora asks, and he realizes there’s still blood on his hands from the fight, he rubs them awkwardly on his pants, tries to pretend it isn’t there.

“What, Diego didn’t tell you? Well, once upon a time there were Seven children…” Klaus starts the story then, presenting it like a bedtime story to pass the time as he explains how their father taught four-year-olds to gouge out a man’s eyes. Dave and Eudora listen with horrified attentiveness, they seem outraged, and shocked, but more surprisingly, they seem to believe him.

 

\---

 

That night Eudora and Klaus sit up in their shared bunk, holding the magic time traveling briefcase on their laps, and hoping that it will send them back, with tentative hands, they flip the switches up.  There’s a whirring sound, and then a sizzle, Klaus squeezes his eyes shut waiting. When he opens them, they’re still sitting on a shared bunk in the middle of the Vietnam War.

“Now what?” Klaus whispers, because he honestly doesn’t know.

“We get some sleep.” Eudora decides. “We try again tomorrow.” She tucks the briefcase under their bunk, and lays down. “Just don’t die on me before we get home, Diego would be upset.” She remarks, and Klaus scoffs, as if Diego cared.

“Well we can’t have Diego’s lady friend dying on him either, he’d kill me.” Klaus comments, someone shushes them, so he lays down, closes his eyes and pretends to sleep despite the screaming soldier in the corner of the room who hasn’t grasped that he’s dead yet.

-1968 day 2-

The next morning they’re woken up by more yelling, and god why is Sergeant Crawford always yelling, it’s obnoxious. They’re added to rotations, told to do perimeter checks, keep watch, train. There’s nothing to do but listen.

Klaus does nearly 200 pushups that first day because he never snaps to attention when the others do, too busy babbling to himself. Dave keeps jabbing him in the side trying to get him to pay attention, but the pushups aren’t too big a deal. Not the worst punishment he’s ever received.

“You think it’ll work tonight?” Klaus asks Eudora during lunch, he really wants it too, as pretty as Dave is he hardly makes up for the number of dead men stumbling around the camp.

“I don’t know.” She admits. “We can hope.” It’s all they can do really. Klaus gives her a wan smile and eats the food placed in front of him, he’s certainly had worse. Like way more questionable than a dumpster bagel levels of worse, Ben can attest.

That night Eudora comes back to their tent with a black eye, she’s a hell of a shot, but when it comes to hand to hand, she isn’t perfect, and some of the men here aren’t ecstatic to see a woman outshoot them.  

“Can you teach me to fight?” She asks, and Klaus has never taught anyone anything, never been asked to teach anyone anything.

“You sure? I don’t fight pretty.” He hedges, unsure of the offer. It’s true, he’d been taught to take down bigger opponents, taught to go for the weakest spots and to never hesitate.

“I’m sure.” She says, they need to survive long enough to get back. She needs to know how to fight. “You teach me to fight, I’ll teach you to shoot.” He holds up his shaking hands in the darkness of the tent.

“Might want to wait for the withdrawal to pass.” He mumbles, and she nods agreeably. “And maybe we’ll be out of here tonight, right?” He tries his best to smile, but he doesn’t really believe it. From the look on her face she doesn’t really believe it. Still, they reach out, flip the switches, there’s a sizzle, and a bit of a blue glow, and then nothing.

“Sleep.” Eudora decides, and Klaus nods agreeably. What other choice do they have, he even gets a little sleep that night, pushups are a hell of a way to wear someone out.

-1968 day 7-

Klaus’ hands have stopped trembling, but the cravings still threaten to consume him, and he heard some men, barely men, boys, talking about a bar near the camp. He’s never wanted anything so much in his life.

“You’re learning to shoot today.” Eudora informs him, and suddenly there’s a rifle in his hands. He whines, loudly, doing his best to be obnoxious. “You’re learning.” She says, leaving no room for argument.

“Ugh, fine, lead the way.” He grumbles, and she does, takes him to a set of targets, and starts explaining the gun. He zones out, clicks of the safety and glances down the sights at the target. He was never the best shot, and dad only trained them in handguns, but he does know how to shoot.

“Now, with a rifle you need to make sure-“ She’s saying, when he squeezes the trigger, the shot’s a little wide, and the but of the gun rams into his shoulder causing him to yelp in pain.

“I’ve been shot.” He groans, not loud enough to get everyone’s attention because that would be a mess.

“You’re an idiot Klaus.” She grumbles, shaking her head as she gives him a hand up. “Rifle’s have a lot more kickback than your average hand gun, so you need to be braced for it.” He let’s her help him up, already aware of the bruise forming on his shoulder.

“Well, I guess that’s it for today.” He shrugs ignoring the spike of pain that set’s off in his shoulder. “What can you do?”

“No.” Eudora says, and god she is so serious. “Try again, and listen to me this time, make sure the butt of the rifle is here.” She pushes it up slightly so it’s resting against his shoulder. He does as she commands, unaware of the crowd of living people that have joined his ghostly crowd.

Somehow, within an hour he’s nearly hitting the target instead of just shooting in the general direction of it. Somehow Eudora get’s roped into training a few of the other boys in the squad who aren’t to great at aiming. So many of them children, and felons told their options were war or prison.

“Hargeeve’s, we have a resupply coming in.” That would be the charming Sergeant Crawford, loud as ever. “You and Kratz will be handling it.” He orders. Klaus does his best to salute, and then runs off in the direction he’s pointed with a flash of his goodbye hand at Eudora, and the kid she’s giving pointers too.

…

He’s covered in mud and exhausted when he get’s back to the tent, too tired to be excited about the prospect of going home.

“Hey.” Eudora says, pulling out the briefcase as he strips out of his pants, dropping soaking wet shoes at the end of the bed.

“It’s not gonna work.” He grumbles, and she doesn’t argue, just waits for him to touch it before she flips the switches. He reaches out, smacking the top with a tired hand, a sizzle a pop, no glow, nothing.

“Get some dry underwear on and get to sleep.” Eudora says, and she sounds a little hopeless. Klaus crawls into bed the moment he’s dry and passes out, the screaming ghost in the corner easy to ignore with how exhausted he is.

-1968 Week 5-

There is water up to his knees, and carting around this briefcase is becoming a gigantic nuisance as they march through the jungle but it’s not like he has much of a choice.

“Shit.” Klaus hisses, stumbling over an invisible root, Eudora catches his elbow. He’s in a terrible mood despite the fact that Dave asked him out this morning because Dave got sent off with a different scouting party, and as much as he loves Eudora he really wanted to spend time with Dave today.

“You good?” She asks, and they both get shushed, as the Sergeant waves them along, everyone dropping into a crouch despite the water, and gesturing for everyone to take their guns out. The first shot comes out of nowhere, and the Sergeant goes down. A wide-eyed man in a Corporal uniform looks around in panic as people turn to him for orders.

“I-“ He blinks, and Klaus realizes he doesn’t know what to do.

“Get down.” Eudora commands, and there’s steel in her voice that makes people listen. “Quiet, everybody listens.” There’s an eerie moment of silence, where all they can hear is their own breathing and the sounds of birds in the distance, and then a rustle comes from behind them. A faceless ghost points into the trees.

Klaus looks to Eudora, and then tilt’s his head towards the ambush coming from behind. She signals to close ranks, and takes aim. The sound of her first shot shatter’s the silence, and the first attacker goes down. There will be more.

“Harley!” Someone screams, and Klaus forces himself not to look, turning to pick off those trying to flank them. The sound of gunfire is deafening. They make it out, soaked in blood, but alive. There’s four men down, and a half dozen injured, but they survived.

“Okay, Corporal James.” She addresses the frightened Corporal from earlier, he stands at attention. “You’re going to take the injure, and five men, and head back for camp. Clear?”

“Yes ma’am.” He salutes, which is kind of funny since Patch doesn’t even have a rank.

“Then get moving. Bartley, Jackson, Smith, Harris, and Jacobs, with him.” She orders, and Klaus notices that she sent nearly all the 18-year-old’s away. She leads on, the mission has to be completed. Klaus keeps an eye out for ghosts, using them as an early warning system.

…

“So, Corporal Patch.” Klaus whispers when they camp out for the night. She shoves his shoulder.

“I’m just a detective.” She grumbles. Klaus laughs.

“Never heard a detective give orders like that.” He points out, she just rolls her eyes. They’re both soaking wet, and exhausted, but Klaus feels a strange sort of calm. “Should we?” He gestures towards the case.

“Not tonight.” Eudora decides. “After we finish this mission.” Klaus nods, and tries to get some sleep, he has next watch.

-1968 week 9-  

“Did I ever tell you about my sister?” Klaus asks, looking over at Dave and Eudora. “Vanya?” Eudora shakes her head. “She wrote a book about us you know?”

“I think I would remember a book about you.” Charles remarked from his seat across from them. Klaus rolls his eyes.

“It was called Extra Ordinary, and the first time I read it I felt betrayed.” He informs them. “She told the whole world about my fear of ghosts, and my drug habit. She just put it all out there.” Dave pats his shoulders.

“Is that why Diego’s always so mad at her?” Eudora asks, and Klaus nods.

“I read it a second time though, I wanted to understand.” He looks up at the stars. “She didn’t betray any of us. You can’t betray someone who never noticed you enough to trust you.” There’s a pause then, while he mulls over how to explain his thoughts. “Dad, excluded Vanya, constantly. Luther of course followed his lead, but so did the rest of us. She didn’t train with us, so we only saw her at mealtimes, and…” He trails off.

“No interrupting Herr Muller.” Dave says mimicking Klaus’ best impression of Reginald.

“Exactly.” Klaus laughs. “Vanya wasn’t in any of the family pictures. She doesn’t have the family tattoo.” He flashes his wrist at them. “She was completely alone growing up, and that book wasn’t really about us, when I read it the second time, I realized it was just about her, and how lonely she felt.” Eudora pats him on the shoulder.

“Maybe when we get back you can try to include her more. Talk to her, you’re what almost halfway through your service?” Charles asks, nobody ever acknowledges the fact that they might not make it back.

“Yeah, maybe.” Klaus mumbles. “Maybe.” Eudora smiles sadly at him, and he knows that they’ll try the case again tonight, even if they hadn’t for a few days.

“Family’s rough.” Dave says, and dear god if that isn’t true. He looks at Dave and then he thinks about his family and even with the desire to right things with Vanya he can’t make himself want to go back.

…

“You think it will work?” Eudora asks, gesturing to the briefcase. It sits between them, heavy and big and useless.

“Do you want it to?” He whispers back, it’s a question neither of them want to answer out loud because admitting the truth feels wrong, but they’ve made a life here. Klaus doesn’t think he’s ever smiled so much, but there’s something about knowing that everyone else is living with ghosts’ even if they aren’t as literal as Klaus’ that makes breathing a little easier.

The case blows this time, it would be promising if they actually wanted to leave, but instead it’s just nerve wracking.

“Night Patches.”  Klaus whispers, laying down in his cot.

“Goodnight Klaus.” She whispers back. Klaus lays there, thinking about the time Charles had stared at empty space whispering about Jamie. The time that Jacobs zoned out staring at people who weren’t there, the way he jumped when Hammish tried to calm him down. Somehow, in the middle of a warzone Klaus doesn’t feel so alone.

-Month 4-

“There’s a tattoo parlor near base.” Klaus overheard someone talking about it, not everyone in the 172nd has a tattoo, but the good majority of them do.

“Should we?” Eudora asks, and Klaus looks over at Dave and the tattoo on his arm.

“I’m going to, if you want to it’s your choice.” He shrugs, “It’s leave day baby!” There’s a few cheers from around him, as they head towards the town, although town is a generous description.

“I think I will.” Eudora says, and Klaus beams at her. Neither of them acknowledges that in a way this is giving up hope, after all how will Detective Eudora patch explain an army tattoo away? Still, they try the case, occasionally. Mostly because they know they should want to go back.  

Even if they don’t really.

Klaus is so used to feeling alone, but here surrounded by death and ghosts, he feels like he has a family. Eudora and Dave, his closest friend, and his cute ass boyfriend. But, there’s also Tommy, and Charles, and Jacks, and just everyone. Here in the middle of the war, Klaus doesn’t feel so alone.

-1968 Month 10-

“That was a close one, huh Dave?” Klaus says, his ears still ringing as he looks down his rifle. There’s no reply. “Dave?”

He isn’t ready for the sight of Dave, chest bloody. “Dave?” For a moment the war disappears and it’s just Dave, and the red stain growing on his chest, and then Klaus is moving, pushing his hands over the wound, and screaming for a medic. “Medic!” He’s desperate, and frightened, and there’s no one coming to help.

“Keep the pressure on.” Eudora orders, and that’s the no nonsense voice. Klaus listens.

“Medic!” He screams, his voice feels raw, and he can feel tears threatening to overwhelm his vision. Eudora positions herself to lift Dave.

“Pressure Klaus. He won’t survive, not here.” She says, and he hears what she means, not here, not now. They need the briefcase, and it needs to work.

“Go.” Klaus says, and then they’re moving as fast as they can, keeping the pressure on as they run for the tent. Eudora takes most of Dave’s weight, and they move as quickly as they can. Klaus knows what his super power is, seeing ghosts, but today he just wants hope to be enough.

“We’re almost there.” Eudora says, and then they’re bursting into the tent and yanking the briefcase out from under the bed Dave supported between them.

“Please work, please, please, please.” Klaus begs, Eudora’s voice a whisper matching his as they each flip a switch with shaky hands. Beautiful miraculous light consumes them, and then Klaus is sitting on a bus, on a familiar street, clutching a bleeding Dave.

-2019-

It’s going to be okay. Eudora stands up, ignoring the blood on her clothes, and goes to order the bus driver to take them to a hospital.

It’s going to be okay.


End file.
